You'll use boost whenever you heat something up quickly. For me, the most common thing fitting that criterion is boiling water (for rice, etc.).

As for having boost only on the three largest burners, I think this seems silly -- but I could live with it. I might end up moving my small pan of water over to a smaller hob (where it fits) after first boiling it on the larger hob using power boost.

The feature I don't have (on my E'lux induction range) is a timer that turns off hobs. I manage this myself, of course, but its a nice feature to look for.

I'm looking at the same induction top. Thinking that boost is most important on the bigger burners. If, say, I'm poaching one egg in the small Le Creuset pan, the smaller burner would do.

However, the two smaller ones seem to be simmer-oriented.

But is that right?

I don't mind not having timed turn off since on Wolf if you move the pan off the burner it turns itself off.

Interested to hear opinions on this as well.

I'm not familiar with the Wolf, Roccogurl, but it sounds like you're wondering if its heating characteristics differ across burners, with small ones tuned for simmering and big ones for boost. That may or may not be fine, but it certainly seems like its worth nailing down somehow. Could you melt chocolate on a large hob, and would you want to?

The advantage of timed turn-off is that you don't have to be there -- to move the pan or turn the hob off. You can forget about the rice, knowing it won't burn. I simply didn't grasp this before I got my induction (and wish I had).

I think all of the induction cooktops turn themselves off if you take the pan away. All induction cooktops also recognize the size of the pan and only heat that area, since the pan actually becomes the burner.

As to only having boost on the larger burners, I'm not sure that would be a deal breaker for me, though I frequently boil water for one cup of tea or instant something on the smaller burners. I can't imagine why they'd put it on some burners but not all, that does just seem odd. I use the turn-off timers on my Miele frequently--rice, pressure cookers, pasta--anything I want to turn off in a specific amount of time. It's a feature that I wanted and I've found that I do actually use it as often as I thought I would.

Cj

Seems that the Wolf smallest elements do melt, which was explained to me as a lower heat setting than simmer (which the other 3 larger elements have). Might still be able to melt chocolate on a larger element with the simmer setting, but as chac_mool points out I probably would not have a need for that (even though I love chocolate and bake with it frequently!). As for boiling water quickly on the small elements without boost, I wonder if there is a big difference in time to boil a small amount of water +/- boost? My guess is that difference would be minimal. Anyone have any better info on this?

Cj, good point about using timers to avoid burning rice. On my current electric coil I haven't had a problem burning rice as long as I turn it down to the lowest setting, and I'm assuming it would be the same on induction. Anyone know if the low settings on induction are similar/higher/lower heat than settings on a standard electric coil?

I melt chocolate in the microwave or if I have a lot with hot liquid so that's not an issue for me per se (thought it might be for others). Ditto with rice -- do that in the steamer or oven as I find it easier to control.

I do use simmer for soups, sauces, braising stews, slow reductions.

My understanding -- though I'm not super clear on this and might need correction -- is that the small elements pull from the one in front/behind if needed for boost. So, theoretically (again, I've not used the cooktop) a small pan of water would be easily boiled.

I'm not so concerned with the lack of turn-off timer for burners -- for me (though not necessarily anyone else) that would be more of a nuisance than convenience. Moving the pan off is fine.

If the small elements are low that's great for me for holding something vs actually cooking. I'd love to have that. I do know from the showroom that the small burner with a small pan kept water at just below a simmer.

I need to give them a call on the power outage business so I can ask about small burners and boost. I know the big burner on the 36" has boost -- individually.

I don't know if this is true, but I get the feeling that the special ultra low element on the Wolf is a gimmick to look "normal" to people comparing to gas. Other units have a special "low" or "melt" button that all of the induction elements can use. My Gaggenau melts fine on number 1, 1.5, or 2. I don't need a special setting. Just have to watch closely, because toffee caramelizes instantly. :) Well...seems like it. Chocolate is less touchy.

I have used boost on my smallest element, but it seems unnecessary. You can't boost on two different elements in a pairing, so you put the pot you want to boost on the one that boosts. Simple enough.

I use boost a lot on anything liquid. If I'm rewarming homemade soup, I'll boost until the soup starts quivering, then reduce the heat to rewarm thoroughly. I definitely boost when I'm making stock or spaghetti sauce, but somewhere around the fourth or fifth hour, there's too much heat build up and it won't boost any more for the stock to return to boil (that's without opening the drawer, which might help).

If I'm just heating up an empty pan, I find 6 or 7 is adequate, and I'm scared to try higher.

Repac, I've often found that the settings I use on my induction are similar to the ones on the best quality electric coils I grew up with. Some people have trouble transitioning to the numbers, but it didn't affect me at all. Numbers 1-9 with half steps is right on, though my induction doesn't have "high" and "low". It's nothing like the '60's push button coils I had in a rental which had far too few settings. I think that was high, low, and five in between. That said, the pan heats faster and food cooks faster on the induction. That's what you'd expect.

I don't know how to compare low heat. My number 3 on the 2200W (unboosted) element is right for cooking eggs without browning. I usually use 3.5 to 4 for an omelette where I want some brown outside and to wilt/melt the filling on top (with a lid). For melting frozen butter in a small cast iron saucepan, I use number 1.5 on the 1400W (unboosted) small element. Number 2 on the butter and it'll boil by the time it's all melted. I've used number 1 on the same element to melt chocolate chips that I couldn't keep an eye on. That worked fine. Took longer, but didn't scorch or get weird. I've melted baking chocolate with other ingredients on number 2, while stirring. That worked well too. Those are all in the one quart Le Creuset saucier. The eggs are in the wisp thin DeBuyer carbon steel crepe pans (best omelettes I've ever made).

Just to be complete, I brown ground beef on number 5.5-ish on the (unboosted) 1800W, maybe 5 on the 2200W. Depends on my patience to cooks too fast ratio. That's in a Demeyere 7-ply stainless frying pan. I also use that pan for the occasional sear, in the 6-7 range, with the pan good and hot first.

Most wet things, stock, soup, etc., start off in the neighborhood of 6, but for most of the time, if I want to keep it simmering short of a boil, I can turn it down to about 4, once it's good and hot.

I don't know how this compares to the Wolf, but from what I've seen, elements of the same basic size and power cook similarly from brand to brand.

Rococogurl, I didn't get the value of turn-off timers (as Cj did) before I got induction, either.

Let me try again: You find cooking rice in the steamer or oven "easier to control" because you don't have induction. When an induction timer turns off a hob it doesn't stay hot, any more than the pan would from its own heat if you moved it. So now you can leave your pan on the hob; you don't have to move it like you used to. This makes induction turn-off timers useful in ways they couldn't be with an electric range.

I don't mean to badger you about this, really. Its fine if you don't want them. But I didn't get how useful they can be -- for anything you want to cook a specific amount of time -- until after I got induction, because such a timer wouldn't have been useful to me before induction (either).

chac mool -- hear you and appreciate. But Wolf appears to be the only induction that will fit my existing (stainless steel counter) cut out. No idea why but they don't have auto turn off. Of course, I can see how the auto would be useful. I have it on my oven.

What's most important to me is being able to boil large pots and the safety features. DH has low vision so it's important that he can know to move a pot off the burner without having to hit a spot on a touch pad to turn off the hob. The good thing on the Wolf in that regard is the odd arc of lights that indicates power setting level -- he will see that easily where a low-contrast number or symbol can be an issue.

So in addition to fitting, this might be best case for me -- though not for any of the usual reasons.